Physical attraction is one of the bottom-line factors in dating. If you’re not actually attracted to someone else there really isn’t much of a point in seeking out a romantic encounter with them. Photos definitely tell a story, and while photos are not a universal requirement of all online dating sites, you will absolutely get results with a decent picture rather than nothing at all.

Naturally there are sites that do afford a level of privacy. These sites will allow you to post private pics which are available only at the request of other members. This creates a sense of safety, and you’ll certainly be able to shield yourself from unwanted attention. Such secretive tactics may seem alluring and coy but more frequently they create a hurdle most people are simply not interested in getting through. The Internet (and Internet dating) is a combination of text and image and its usually advisable to offer both if you’re interested in taking full advantage of the online dating scene.

If you want to present yourself in an eye-catching way, the most important thing to do is to either get a hold of a digital camera or find someone who owns one. Digital cameras offer great resolution and you can click away wherever you want with much greater ease than with that disposable cardboard camera that you may have purchased from a drugstore.

When you’re taking photos, make sure that you’re the main attraction. This is your chance to show the world what a great catch you are, and friends won’t be able to concentrate on your drop-dead gorgeous face if there are nine other people in the photo. So that means that those photos that you took at the office party last January are out of the running, no matter how stunning you think you look in the crowd. Take center stage! Many sites prohibit terrible photos or shots where it isn’t clear who the profile person is, so it’s best just to stick to solo photos from the start.

While you are no doubt going to take flattering pictures, don’t be shy or awkward and attempt to hide physical aspects that you think look bad. If people meet someone who looks radically different from the photo that was posted online, they will feel cheated at best. Of course you don’t want a photo of yourself that looks like you were just thrown out of a bar, but try to present a clear, honest shot of yourself. You will definitely get some positive response if you don’t look like you’re trying to hide anything.

When it comes to quantity, the more the merrier! You want to have a nice selection of photos so people have a good idea of what you look like in a variety of different situations. Your true self will really shine though when people see a sampling of you looking your best in a number of interesting environs. There’s nothing wrong with a nice glamour shot, but why not have four or five photos to really knock ‘em dead?

Don’t forget to update regularly as well. While you probably haven’t the time to do photo shoots every weekend, you also don’t want a photoset to linger for more than a year. Also, even if one given photo is raking in potential dates, try changing it from time to time. You may catch the eye of someone who has seen you before but didn’t like what others seem to love.

Now that you’ve got a collection of hot photos, it’s time to put yourself out there and let the emails roll in. If you want maximum visibility, don’t forget to go online at various times of the day so that your photo appears at the beginning of profile searches as often as possible. Generally, dating sites list the latest person online as the first to appear in any given profile search, so jumping online will keep your beautiful face at the forefront of these profile searches.

As shallow as it may seem, looks are incredibly important on dating sites, and in many cases they are the earliest impressions we have of the profile-person. A good collection of regularly updated photos will make an enormous difference in your dating chances. In these days of short attention-spans, a pretty picture will fill your inbox with far more letters than the best written profile which lacks a single photo.